Let it drift into your dreams.
Tucked between steep mountains and the western shore of Lake Hallstatt, in Austria’s Salzkammergut region, Hallstatt looks like a village from a fairy tale. Its 16th-century Alpine houses line narrow lanes filled with cafés and small shops. Above the village, a funicular climbs to Salzwelten, one of the world’s oldest salt mines, with an underground salt lake and a viewing platform high over the water. To the west, a trail leads into the Echern Valley, with its glacial potholes and the Waldbachstrub Waterfall.
I had seen so many photos of Hallstatt on my Instagram Explore page that it became a dream destination for me, a place I simply had to see.
Getting There
As soon as my business meetings in Hamburg wrapped up, I booked a flight to Munich and drove about three hours to Hallstatt.
I stayed at the Heritage Hotel, a cozy, charming hotel with a wonderful restaurant. The viewpoint where I took the main photos is only a couple of minutes’ walk away, and you can even spot the hotel in the pictures.
A Dawn Painted in Red
The evening I arrived, the sunset was unremarkable, though the sky was clear. I went to bed hoping for better light.
The next morning, I was pleasantly surprised. Delicate red clouds drifted over the mountains, just enough to paint the whole scene like a dream. Then a lone boat glided silently across the lake toward the church. Not a sound broke the stillness, and for a moment it felt as if I hadn’t woken up at all.
See It With Your Own Eyes
Photos can only hint at what Hallstatt feels like. Go and see it for yourself. It is a heavenly place.
